Lin Xian froze when CC called his name. It took him a moment to process it. He vaguely recalled their second meeting in the dream world, where CC had felt a strange familiarity, as if she was remembering a piece of a forgotten dream. Back then, she hadn’t known him as Lin Xian and had even joked, “Why don’t you just say your name is Safe?” Now, that joke seemed to make more sense.
Although Lin Xian and CC had interacted multiple times in their first dream, he hadn’t always introduced himself, and their conversations were often disjointed. In the second dream, CC’s memories of the first dream were fragmented, especially the time they spent with Big Cat Face, using an acetylene torch to cut through an aluminum alloy safe. Lin Xian hadn’t mentioned his name then, so when they reconnected in the second dream, it wasn’t surprising that CC didn’t recognize him. Yet, during that second dream, CC had become an invaluable teammate. To convince her to join him on a stealth mission to New Donghai City, Lin Xian had to explain his plans multiple times until she finally trusted him.
But now...
Since CC had immediately called out his name, did that mean—
Suddenly, a cold stick swung toward him. Big Cat Face wasn’t holding back! Er Zhuzi thrust his spear forward, the tip gleaming ominously in the dim light.
“Big Brother! These two know each other! They’re definitely plotting something together!” Er Zhuzi shouted.
“Cut them down!” Big Cat Face ordered, his voice as cold as ice. “Everyone, attack!”
On his command, their former teammates—Ah Zhuang, Er Zhuzi, and San Pang—charged at them with weapons raised.
“Lin Xian, run!” CC didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Lin Xian’s arm and pulled him toward the nearby woods.
“Don’t... don’t move!” At that moment, Old Man Wei Sheng Jin appeared from behind a tree, trembling as he pointed a pistol at the chaotic scene.
“Huh?” Big Cat Face squinted at the unfamiliar weapon in Wei Sheng Jin’s hand, unimpressed. “What’s that piece of junk? Who’s the old man trying to scare?”
Big Cat Face didn’t recognize the pistol. Earth’s current industrial capabilities couldn’t produce such a weapon. Even if a gun were dug up after a century underground, it would likely be too rusted to use. Old Man Wei Sheng Jin wasn’t surprised by Big Cat Face’s ignorance of the weapon’s power. A gun’s greatest asset is its ability to intimidate, not necessarily its use in a fight—especially for someone like Wei Sheng Jin, who came to Earth to pursue his dreams, not to take lives. But since his adversaries didn’t even recognize the gun, intimidation was out of the question.
“Teacher Wei, give me the gun.” Lin Xian and CC reached Wei Sheng Jin’s side. Taking the gun from his shaky hands felt like a miracle as Lin Xian turned around. His movements were a blur—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired four shots in rapid succession, the thunderous noise shocking Big Cat Face and Er Zhuzi, who were left dumbfounded.
Then they noticed:
“Er Zhuzi! Where’s the tip of your spear?”
“Big Brother, why do I only have a knife handle left?”
“I don’t think I’m feeling well!”
Their exclamations made Big Cat Face check his own weapon, only to find it shattered in the middle, leaving him with just a stub. He gasped. This... If that had struck someone’s head, would it have shattered instantly? Was that tiny black object really so powerful?
He remembered seeing similar weapons before—old-fashioned firearms called powder guns and hunting rifles... But those were bulky, heavy, and couldn’t fire repeatedly without reloading. Yet, the device in the hands of the old man and the young man... It was sleek, shiny, and no larger than a hand. How could it hold such immense power?
“Retreat!” Realizing they had been spared deliberately but that continuing the fight was too dangerous, Big Cat Face commanded, “Ah Zhuang, Er Zhuzi, San Pang! Let’s go!”
They retreated hastily into the undergrowth.
Old Man Wei Sheng Jin sighed in relief, his heart pounding. He found a nearby rock to sit on, catching his breath and taking a sip from his water bottle. With the immediate danger gone, Lin Xian examined the pistol. It was undoubtedly Martian technology—compact, lightweight, and powerful, likely designed for discreet self-defense. He didn’t know how many bullets it still held since he hadn’t checked the magazine. On an Earth with virtually no industrial capacity, even a small Martian pistol was a formidable weapon.
Pocketing the pistol, Lin Xian turned to the long-lost CC beside him. “CC,” he called her name softly, a mix of emotions swirling within him. “It’s been a long time.”
CC smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “In this world, it seems we’ve never met before. How could it be a long time?”
Her eyes, smile, dimples, and face remained unchanged. Just like Chu An Qing. Lin Xian had many questions for CC, but casual conversation could wait.
“You know my name, so do you know other things about me too?” he asked.
CC nodded. “You told me yourself, in one of the memory fragments.”
“What did the memory fragment show?” Lin Xian began verifying the information, eager to piece together the scattered fragments of their shared past.
“There are two memory fragments about you,” CC revealed immediately. “The first fragment shows you, me, Big Cat Face, and those people who were just chasing us, working together to burn a safe in a bank. The other memory is of you finding me in the woods. You claimed to be VV, but you weren’t. You told me several things—00:42, infinite loops, August 28th, the end of the world, and something about a landfill and the safe.”
“Then I trusted you, and we sneaked into New Donghai City together, infiltrated the Time Bank, and looked for the safe with your name on it. I don’t know what happened after that; the memories are disjointed and incomplete.”
Lin Xian smiled faintly. “That’s helpful. It saves me the trouble of introducing myself.”
Just as he had thought. CC had acquired more memory fragments! In the second dream, CC retained fragments from the first; logically, CC in the third dream would retain fragments from the second, and while gaining new fragments, the old ones persisted. This explained why CC’s mind held thousands of memory fragments, accumulated over countless shifts in time and space and worldline changes. Though Lin Xian hadn’t met CC in the third or fourth dream, it didn’t prevent her from gathering fragments—they just didn’t involve him.
Now, in the fifth dream... It was evident that CC had memories from all four previous dreams.
Excellent. In this perpetual cycle of dreams, where no one recognized or trusted him, Lin Xian finally had a reliable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy ally from the start—CC.
Back in the second dream, in the small woods behind the Li family’s courtyard, Lin Xian had divulged everything to CC to convince her to join him on his mission to New Donghai City, including the infinite loop of dreams. Now, he wouldn’t need to repeat his backstory.
Their earlier rapid exchange confirmed that CC completely trusted him, treating him like an old friend from the moment they met again.
“So, do you believe everything I’ve told you now?” Lin Xian inquired. “When we first met on the outskirts of New Donghai City, you were skeptical about the world ending at 00:42 and my ability to loop August 28th infinitely. But now, you should believe me, right? After all, this is our third time meeting on this day.”
CC paused, then nodded slowly. “Now... honestly, I’m starting to believe it. But let’s set that aside for now. What are you here for this time? Still looking for that safe with your name on it?”
Lin Xian nodded. “You must be looking for that aluminum alloy safe too, right? Don’t worry, this time, I know the password.”
“Heh.” CC chuckled. “That made me laugh again. You always say that.”
“This time it’s true.” Lin Xian didn’t bother with further explanation. “I won’t say much now. You’ll see when the time comes.”
He glanced at CC a few more times. She really looked exactly like Chu An Qing and Zhang Yu Qian. Seeing her familiar face again stirred a mix of comfort and sadness in him.
Noticing Lin Xian’s complex expression, CC tilted her head. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing.” Lin Xian looked away briefly, then back again. “I wanted to ask you, when is your birthday?” He paused. “Is it August 29th, 2604?”
CC blinked. “No... it’s August 28th.”
Huh? Lin Xian was taken aback. But he quickly realized that since CC was born in Brooklyn, USA, she was referring to the USA time. The time 00:42 on August 29th, 2604, in X Country would be 12:42 on August 28th, 2604, in the USA.
This coincidence seemed almost deliberate.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” CC nudged Lin Xian with her elbow. “Why’d you go silent? Why’d you ask about my birthday?”
“You were probably born at 12:42 noon, right?” Lin Xian continued.
CC looked even more puzzled. “How’d you know that? I asked my parents, and they remembered clearly. I was born right at noon when the sun was high, and the weather was hot. It was a good day.”
Lin Xian squinted his eyes. Indeed. Everything aligned. CC is definitely another millennium stake. According to his extensive calculations with Gao Yang, every 24 years, a millennium stake disappears: 1952, 1976, 2000, 2024... all the way to 2624. It all fits perfectly.
After the previous millennium stake vanishes, there’s a four-year gap before the next one is born, and it disappears again on its 20th birthday, relocking history. This complete cycle repeats every 24 years.
“You told me before, but your memory fragments were incomplete.” Lin Xian was nudged again by CC, so he casually added, “We talked about this before in New Donghai City.”
He had lied. It seemed that CC, just like Chu An Qing and Zhang Yu Qian, although identical in appearance, were completely different individuals. So, Lin Xian had no intention of revealing the truth about the millennium stake to CC. He couldn’t... It would be like foretelling her death, telling CC she had less than five hours to live.
Besides, explaining the millennium stake was extremely complicated, and the anchor itself was unaware of its significance. There was no point in discussing it.
“How long have you been here?” Lin Xian changed the subject. “Did you come from Brooklyn?”
CC nodded. “I haven’t been here long, just a few months. The journey was incredibly lengthy... None of the transportation methods from my memory fragments exist here; the fastest were horseback or sailing ships... It took over a year to reach Old Donghai City.”
“When I arrived, I started searching for the ruins of the Time Bank, but I couldn’t find anything. The bearded man in my memory fragment, VV, didn’t give me the exact location of the Time Bank... he just mentioned it was in Donghai City.”
“That’s also strange because when I was born, Donghai City and all other cities were already gone. I don’t know why VV would say that. Unless... as you’ve suggested before, these memory fragments are from different times, different parallel worlds, different worldlines.”
“Hehe, you just don’t get it because you’re too dumb! I understand it perfectly! Village chief, can you teach me more about equations? I’m really interested! Don’t waste time on him!” another taunted.
Inside the house, a kind and gentle old woman was smiling at her pupils. She gently reprimanded the girl who liked equations, “Xiao Yu, it’s great that you’re eager to learn and that you’re bright, but remember, it’s important to respect everyone. Everyone has their own strengths and skills. To be truly useful to society, and to the world, you need to appreciate all kinds of talents, not just academic ones.”
She then turned to the boy who was frustrated with the math, “Xiao Ming, while basic math might seem sufficient for daily challenges, without advancing our knowledge, we’d never discover the deeper, beautiful math that helps us understand the universe better.”
She patted his cheek affectionately, “When I first arrived over twenty years ago, people here lived very simple, primitive lives. They had no medicine, couldn’t treat wounds, and many didn’t live long. I taught them how to farm, make tools, and use herbs. Now, life is better here because knowledge changed their fate.”
“If you learn more about equations, maybe you could become a scientist or an engineer. Isn’t that your dream? You and Xiao Yu are some of the brightest kids here, and Rhine Village’s future could be bright because of you.”
The children’s eyes lit up with inspiration as they nodded, understanding her words.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Go and rest,” she concluded, noticing Lin Xian and his friends waiting at the door. She ended the lesson early, inviting them in with a welcoming smile.
After hearing from CC, Lin Xian and Wei Sheng Jin were led into the stone-brick house where they were introduced to the village chief.
“Grandma, these two stood up for me during a disagreement with people from Big Cat’s Village in the forest. They defended me and saved my life,” CC explained to the village chief.
The village chief smiled warmly at them and nodded: “Thank you both so much, and welcome to Rhine Village. Feel at home here, stay as long as you like, and if you’d like... you’re welcome to join our Rhine Village family.”
“Hello, village chief,” greeted Wei Sheng Jin, introducing himself first. “I traveled here from Mars on a transit ship. My name is Wei Sheng Jin, and I’m a university professor on Mars... Your story has truly touched me. You’re such a kind and caring person.”
“I’ve read about dedicated rural and volunteer teachers in ancient books, but I never fully grasped the challenges and significance of their work... until now. It’s remarkable that you left the comforts of Mars to help the people on this less advanced Earth... I have immense respect for you.”
The village chief responded with a humble smile: “It’s not anything grand. On the contrary, I felt I wasn’t doing enough significant work, so I came to Earth where even the little knowledge I have could be useful. It’s not about being great; I’m just doing what I can to help others and spread some kindness. By the way... Teacher Wei, what brought you all the way to Earth?”
Wei Sheng Jin then shared his quest for the aluminum alloy safe with the village chief.
Upon hearing this, the village chief glanced at CC and then suddenly realized: “So that’s why... I see now that you all came here to find your safes. I understand you because I also came from the old era and woke up centuries later with no memory of who I was.”
“I’ve wanted to know what my past life was like, what I was thinking, what experiences I had... but regaining lost memories isn’t easy. Even if you find what’s inside the safe, you might not remember the thoughts behind putting it there.”
“Nevertheless, I wish you luck in finding your safes. And for you, CC, who had a conflict today over a safe because I mentioned that people from Big Cat’s Village had dug up one long ago, which might be what you’re looking for.”
Lin Xian and Wei Sheng Jin both turned to CC, their questions overlapping.
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” Lin Xian asked, his voice sharp with curiosity.
“Did you get the number and name of the safe?” Wei Sheng Jin added, just as urgently.
CC first addressed Lin Xian, “It didn’t seem important since it wasn’t one of your safes. Why bring it up? It’s like that one you dismissed earlier today.”
Wei Sheng Jin, realizing the safe didn’t belong to him, lost interest immediately. If it had nothing to do with him, he couldn’t care less, even if it was filled with treasure.
“Whose safe is it then?” Lin Xian pressed on. “What’s the number?”
This information was crucial for him. If the number was below 200, then in the 2024 Time Bank warehouse, he could pinpoint the exact safe! With this knowledge, everything would become much simpler.
Lin Xian planned to switch the contents of safe number 66, which held space-time particles and a small note, with a safe in Big Cat’s Village and then change the lock code. This move would solve several problems at once:
First, he could finally read the note.
Second, CC could access Lin Xian’s safe somewhere else, ensuring the same items were inside.
Most importantly, this ancient safe, having traveled 600 years through time, could transport items from the past to the future, giving him an unbeatable edge!
“Safe number 424. The name is...” CC paused, trying to remember, “Gao Wen, Gao as in tall, Wen as in literature.”
Gao Wen?
The name triggered something in Lin Xian’s memory.
Academician Gao Wen.
Wasn’t he the one who wrote about the hibernation pod fluid Lin Xian had documented for Professor Xu Yun in his earlier dream?
Lin Xian remembered it clearly. Originally, Dr. Ponsmike in the United States developed the hibernation pod fluid in 2477. But due to time-space changes, it became associated with Gao Wen around 2200. Lin Xian had given Gao Wen’s research to Professor Xu Yun, which had catapulted Xu Yun to fame.
He had thought Gao Wen’s contributions would be forgotten forever, only to hear his name now under such odd circumstances. Could this safe belong to that same Gao Wen?
“Gao Wen,” Lin Xian repeated quietly, his mind racing. What could be inside that safe? Perhaps research papers? If so, they would be priceless back in 2024!
His company, Rhine, needed to grow and strengthen, and he wanted to harness the visionary prowess of legends like Copernicus and Elon Musk. Previously, he had feared exposure and possible assassination by the Seven Deadly Sins, so he avoided using his technological insights. But now, caution was unnecessary!
Copernicus had already tried to kill him using a future assassin, and the Genius Club seemed less threatening than he had thought. Now was the time to solidify his position.
Truth only exists where it’s recognized, and respect comes from power. Falling behind meant losing. Lin Xian resolved to become powerful. In this situation, Gao Wen’s safe might just contain a goldmine of advanced technology!
“It’s very possible,” he thought.
In the movie Goodbye Mr. Loser, the protagonist Xia Luo goes back in time and performs all the famous songs of a well-known singer, leaving the original singer without his music. Yet, did that singer vanish into oblivion? No. A star delayed is still a star, eventually gaining global acclaim. Similarly, for Gao Wen, a genius remains a genius!
He wouldn’t just step out from under Professor Xu Yun’s shadow but could reach greater heights in other areas or even advance hibernation technology beyond Xu Yun’s initial work.
“It looks like I really need to try and open Gao Wen’s safe to see what’s inside,” Lin Xian decided.
The village chief, noticing their contemplative silence, turned to Lin Xian:
“And this young man... is he also from Mars? Are you Teacher Wei’s student, here looking for a safe?”
“Ah, no, he isn’t,” CC quickly answered:
“He’s my friend, and we just met here. He’s not from Mars; he’s from Earth. His name is... Lin Xian.”
Lin Xian was about to introduce himself politely when suddenly—
The village chief’s eyes widened, and she gasped, standing up straight: “You...”
She approached swiftly, grasping Lin Xian’s hands tightly: “You... your name is Lin Xian? Lin as in forest, Xian as in the strings of a zither!?”
“Yes, yes, that’s me, grandma,” Lin Xian responded, puzzled by her intense reaction. “What’s wrong, village chief? Do you know me?”
The village chief shook her head: “I don’t know you, but...”
She hurried back to her bed and retrieved a small, exquisitely crafted metal box. The box was clearly something she had brought from Mars over twenty years ago. With trembling hands, she searched inside and finally pulled out a laminated piece of paper—a preservation method that kept the paper from aging or decaying.
Walking back, she handed the laminated sheet to Lin Xian.
Lin Xian took it, stepping closer to the dim light of the pig-oil lamp in the house to read: Things to Do After Waking from Hibernation!
Bury my brother on the moon.
Repay Lin Xian.
Be a kind and caring person.
Suddenly, it felt like fireworks exploded in Lin Xian’s mind. He widened his eyes, staring at the centenarian before him in shock: “You... you’re...”
The old lady nodded, equally bewildered: “Didn’t CC tell you? My name is... Zheng Xiang Yue.”